Citizen Brand

The Pepsi Challenge

  

Pepsi has thrown down the gauntlet. Instead of spending tens of millions of dollars on Super Bowl advertising, the soft drink giant will give $20 million to causes. This very idea was discussed here on Citizen Brand a couple of years ago. Give Pepsi credit for stepping up and making it happen.

Will others follow suit in the days to come before America's newest holiday called Super Bowl Sunday comes calling? Maybe not this year, but if Pepsi sees a return on this cause investment in the form of consumer love and soda sales, others may look at being copycats in 2011.

Of course, it isn't too late for 2010. In fact, with the feel good story of the New Orleans Saints as the predominant story line for this year's Super Bowl, what better time for a brand to step up and do something good.

Pepsi was first. Who will be second and third and fourth?

Extra! Extra! Super Bowl Ads Released

Thanks to our friends at Fast Company, here are 20 Super Bowl ads and they say one of these might not even air.

Why wait until Sunday.

Super Bowl Ads - click here

A Super Bowl idea....take II

The writers strike has impacted Citizen Brand.  It's rerun night.  I was thinking back to two years ago and the Super Bowl.  It was on February 7, 2006 that I suggested in this space that perhaps there might be an advertiser out there who would consider spending their money a bit differently on the Super Bowl.  Here is my rerun:

Really smart advertisers in the future might consider this scenario:  Budget enough money to buy four 30 second spots - say $10 million - but only buy one spot and donate the rest to a worthy cause.  Then take your one 30 second spot and promote that cause.  The company could start a campaign a week or ten days before the game promoting it through every avenue available to them and continue it right through the game and beyond.

Then imagine what a Super Bowl five years down the road might look like if it started a trend and think of all the good that could come of that approach.  And imagine what the public would think of the companies who took this approach.  And how it would make all the employees of those companies feel.

Who wants to start?

There is one difference.  The cost of a Super Bowl spot this year is $2.7 million.  Seems like an even better idea given the cost is going up.  I repeat - Who wants to start?  Anyone?